The Wrongs of One Man, the Rights of the Other
by WhiteBlueJay
Summary: Two years have gone by since the war and Harry finds himself back at Hogwarts, taking care of his most hated professor. But what happens when the lines between love and hate blur? Eventual SSHP, possible M-Preg, and a little OOC.
1. Prologue

**Hello, everybody. I have had a writer's block for several months and it has finally went away. I am happy to be writing again and I'm going to see if I can actually finish a chapter story and make it halfway decent. So bare with me, people. This is my forst try at a Snarry story and it will have eventual relationship and I might even add m-preg. If that is not your thing then the "back" button is in the top left corner. Enjoy. **

It was a warm day at Hogwarts. Maybe not a "warm" most people typically associate the word with, but more of a "warm" feeling. It was hard to believe that two years have gone by since that fateful battle. Two years. For any person who was affected by the war in some shape or form this was a bittersweet day filled with both memories and nightmares. This day would forever be celebrated as the fall of the Dark Lord, but it would also be mourned. The overall death toll of the wizarding community was difficult to tell. So many people had died throughout the years that the ministry had given up counting all the small villages and muggles.

To Harry James Potter this was a day filled with guilt and sadness. It may have been two years, but the pain from all the deaths still felt new. No matter how many times people have told him that it wasn't his fault that people die his mind would always tell him otherwise. It was his fault that he couldn't be ready earlier, it was his fault that he let all those people die. But he knew that he couldn't keep this pity-party going on forever, he had to be strong for the people. So he reserved a day out of the whole year to wallow in misery and get all of his emotions out.

At least it is all over now, Harry thought to himself. It had been a tough two years for him. Hell, it had been a tough two years for everybody. It had taken time, but after only a few months Hogwarts was rebuilt and was made even stronger than before; it would take more than Voldemort to break through all the wards now. As far as Headmasters went Professor McGonagall had taken the position. To Harry's own relief McGonagall had offered him the position as the DADA professor. After all the chaos of the war Harry wasn't so sure about his dream of being an auror. He had seen enough violence to last him several life times. Not only had these past years have made Hogwarts a safe heaven that Harry didn't really want to leave it yet, but now the castle felt like his one true home. There was no way he was going to leave for a long time. Of course he had to finish up all his seventh year subjects, but that could all be done before the school would open in September.

But perhaps the better reason for staying at Hogwarts would be because of his responsibility. Snape was left in his care after the trials had ended, but Harry didn't mind that one bit. If somebody had told him that after the fall of Voldemort he would be helping Snape, the man who made potions for Harry a living hell, recover from Nagini's bite he would call them crazy. Many people had asked him why he was helping Snape now. He didn't really know the answer to that question. The man probably would have died if Harry hadn't shown up the moment he did. But what was his reason for returning to the boat house? It was as if an unknown force had made him go back to that place and make sure that Snape was really dead. Harry felt immense relief when he had felt a faint pulse, but all that relief fled quickly when he realized that he had to figure out a way to get Snape to Madam Pomfrey.

_Flashback_

_"Harry!" Harry's head snapped at the direction of the voice. He found Ron standing in the doorway, breathless; staring at Harry's form slumped over the still professor. "Where have you been, mate? We've been looking for you everywhere."_

_"Sorry," Harry apologized. _

_"What are you doing?" Ron pointed at Snape as he came closer. The potion master's body had resembled something off of a muggle horror story; there was blood everywhere and Snape himself looked so pale, more than he usually was. He never harbored good feeling for his professor, but this scene alone made him actually feel sorry for the man. _

_"I don't think he's dead." Harry chewed on his lip as he tried to cover up the bite mark. The blood was still oozing out of Snape's wounds, but Snape couldn't possibly be alive. Could he?_

_"What do you mean you don't think Snape is dead? We all saw him get bit by the bloody snake." The red head looked from Harry to Snape trying to figure out the truth from this situation. His dad had survived Nagini's bite, but only because they had gotten him to the hospital in time. _

_"Yes, Ron, I know, but there is still a pulse," Harry said. He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around the other man's neck to stop the blood loss. "We can still save him if we hurry."_

_"Harry, have you lost your mind?" Ron asked. "The man is a death eater." _

_"He was a spy," Harry argued. But who else knows that, a voice asked in the back of Harry's mind. _

_"It doesn't matter," Ron said. "Who will listen to you? The man killed Dumbledore." He was speaking the absolute truth. Even the members of the order were shocked to find that Snape had been the one to murder the headmaster. Harry himself was ready to do everything in his power in order to put the man in Azkaban if he had lived past the battle. _

_Harry looked over his shoulder at Ron, "Are you suggesting we leave him here?"_

_"What else are we to do? The aurors will be looking for his body and will probably be here any minute," Ron explained. _

_"We have to try." Harry began trying to maneuver his arms around the man when Ron grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him into a standing position._

_"And what is it going to accomplish?" he asked. _

_"It will buy us more time," Harry said as he extracted his arm from Ron's grasp. _

_"Buy you more time, what good is that going to do?"_

_"It will give Snape time to heal."_

_"It will not take long for the ministry to find out about his whereabouts."_

_"Then we have to keep stalling them," Harry insisted. _

_"With the way things are right now Snape won't have time to heal whether you help or not," Ron said with a sigh. "Face it, Harry, people don't exactly like him. People don't see him as the sacrificing spy like you do. Most people see him as the man who betrayed Dumbledore. They know him as the man who killed one of the greatest wizards in the world. They won't care for an explanation, especially after this kind of battle."_

_Harry looked down at the pale face on the floor. Even unconscious the face held so much sadness and pain. Yes, Snape had tormented him throughout the years, but Harry would be damned if he let him die right here. _

_"Besides, have you seen his injuries?" Ron continued on his rampage. "Even if we do get him help it would take a miracle for him to survive."_

_Long moments passed in silence, the only noise coming from the water. _

_"You don't believe me, do you?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head. He wrapped his arms around Snape's waist and tried to lift him up. Damn, Harry thought, he is heavy. "You are willing to help a man who will most likely end up in Azkaban." This was said as a statement not as a question. _

_"Yes." Harry grunted as he finally stood up with Snape's dead weight resting on top of him. _

_"You are mad."_

_"I never said I was sane," Harry commented._

_"Here," Ron said as he went over to Harry's other side and tugged some of the weight off of Harry. "You do know that the ministry will do everything in their power to punish Snape as much as they can, right?" _

_"Of course I know that," Harry snapped. "How could I bloody forget?" They started slowly making their way to the door. _

_"What are you doing with Professor Snape's body?" Hermione walked into the room and stared at the motionless professor. _

_"We are taking him to the hospital wing," Harry answered. He had to push Snape's head away; even with Harry's growth spurt he was not nearly as tall as the death eater. "Damn it! Ron, could you help me here a little." _

_Hermione's eyes widened comically. "But… but he's dead." She moved out of the way as the boys shuffled their way out of the boat house. _

_"Apparently he is not. At least that's what Harry said," Ron muttered under his breath. "Bloody hell, he doesn't look that heavy."  
>"I know," Harry agreed. It seemed as though the longer they held Snape up the more he seemed to weigh. <em>

_Hermione snapped out of her shock and ran after the group. "If he is truly alive then we need to get him to Madam Pomfrey." _

_"Well," Ron mumbled, "that's the idea."_

_"Ron," Harry yelled, "we don't ha-"_

_"What I meant is that we need to get him to her as fast as we can," Hermione interrupted him. _

_"We are going as fast as we can. The man is not exactly feather light," Ron grumbled under his breath. _

_"Then why are you not apparating him to Hogwarts?" she asked._

_Both boys stopped in their track and looked at each other. Low curses were heard as they got Snape into a safe position. _

_"Why didn't you think of this sooner?" _

_"I didn't think of it at the time."_

_"Well, thanks for helping."_

_"Hey, it's not my fault. You didn't think of it either."_

_"I was a little busy."_

_"So was I."_

_"Could you two please stop fighting and get this man to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione intervened. _

_"Sorry," they muttered in unison._

_Harry felt the familiar tugging on his insides as the loud cracking noise of apparition sounded through the blasted building. _

_End Flashback_

It was still difficult for Harry to believe that Snape had survived. When they had entered the damaged castle they half expected people to start throwing hexes at the levitating ex-Death Eater, but instead most of them ignored them except for the aurors. It took everything in Harry's power to keep them all away and not harm the man any more than he already was. Harry was saved when Molly and Madam Pomfrey came to his rescue. They somehow, miraculously, managed to scurry all of the functioning aurors away and finally get Snape some medical attention.

Both women let out a gasp when they saw the wounds on Snape's neck. What puzzled Harry the most was the way Molly was treating the man who had hurt one of her children; he would have thought that the woman would be trying to hex the man into the deepest pit of hell, but instead she was trying to help him out. It was as if she knew somehow that he was innocent. Harry watched them as they worked on him and it seemed as if hours had gone by instead of minutes when they were in the safe zone.

He had found out that Snape had on him an anti-venom potion that he kept in his cloak in case of a sudden attack. The poison was virtually gone from his body, but it had not left the teacher unscathed. He was still having trouble with blood loss and his immune system was weakened. Madam Pomfrey had said that it would take a year or more for him to heal completely, but some side effects would remain with him for the rest of his life.

It was decided among all of them that it would be best if Snape remain hidden for the duration of his healing. The aurors would still be out and about trying to capture him one way or another, but it would be for the best if Harry could find a place where the man could have a little peace before his trial. Molly had offered her place, but it was quickly decided that it wouldn't be safe enough for both Snape or for the Weasley family. Not only were there people who would be opposed to such housing arrangements, but the house was simply too small to fit everybody. It was later agreed on that Snape should stay at Grimmauld place with Harry. He had to admit that wasn't the brightest idea in case Snape happened to wake up, but it was a much better choice than St. Mungo's which was already overflowing with injured wizards.

Madam Pomfrey had told Harry that at the rate Snape was healing he would not wake up for a long time. He had entered into a magical coma and would only come out of it when he felt ready; it could take weeks, months, or even years for him to wake up. As predicted she was correct. Snape didn't wake up for six months. He didn't even stir when his trials had come up. The aurors had somehow figured out Snape's whereabouts and seized him from the household. Harry had pleaded with the ministry to not throw the man in Azkaban; he would most certainly not survive there, but to put him under house arrest. To Harry's delight the ministry agreed, but on one condition. An auror would have to be present in Harry's household for the duration of the trials, it would for the best if Snape was watched at all times.

Snape's sentencing was one of the most nerve-racking things he had ever had to live through, besides the whole Voldemort terror. He was filled with fear for the man, he knew very well how cruel people could be to those they thought guilty. Amazingly, the Wizengamot declared Snape innocent, despite the public's opinion. However, Kingsley warned Harry that it would be best if Severus was moved back to Hogwarts. The castle was rebuilt and ultimately it would be the best place for the man to heal. The crowd was not exactly happy about the trials and there would surely be someone who would want to take advantage of Snape's weakened state.

Harry had to admit that it was one of the better decisions he had ever made. Even if it was two years after the battle and one and a half years after the trials this place made Harry feel more at home than any other house he happened to reside in. The castle was better suited for taking care of Snape anyway. The ex-Death Eater may have been cleared of all his wrong-doings, but Kingsley said that it would be for his own benefit if Harry continued to look after him in case anyone decided to act out. Sure there have been people who offered to take over the job for him, but for some reason he wouldn't trust anyone else with something as important as this. His days had been busy with school work, but Snape was okay on his own for the better part of the day. In fact, he had enough energy now to scowl and make comments about Harry's intelligence once again.

The professor had finally woken up on the third day after the trials. Harry had just administered the potions Snape was supposed to take when something had caught his eye. It seemed as if he had seen Snape's hand move a little, but that could have been just hallucination. It was on days like these that Harry would sometimes sit by Snape, quietly pleading him to wake up. He wasn't sure why he did that. In all reality that seemed kind of odd. Why would he want Snape to wake up? All he ever did was cause Harry pain and humiliation. But something inside of him forced him to do these things.

And on the third day Snape finally opened his eyes for the first time in six months.

"Harry?" he croaked, his voice rough from misuse.

"Professor?" Harry looked at Snape in surprise. He was left speechless for a long moment before Snape's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Wha-"

"Hang on," Harry said as he shot up from his chair. "I need to get a hold of Madam Pomfrey."

Harry ran out of Snape's room and went straight towards the fire place. He muttered a low curse as he stabbed his toe on the coffee table in his rush.

"Madam Pomfrey's office," Harry said as he threw a handful of floo powder into the fire place.

The fire lit up and the older lady looked curiously at him. "Harry? Are you alright, dear?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm quite alright, but Professor Snape-"

"Is he awake?" she interrupted suddenly.

"Yes, he has just woken up."

"Move away, Harry, I'm coming in." The healer stepped through the fire place and into Harry's living room. "When did he wake up?"

Harry ran a hand through his messy hair, "Not even a few minutes ago. I had just finished giving him his medicine and I looked over to his bed and his eyes had opened."

She nodded at the information as she continued to Snape's room in a fast pace without further questions.

The potions master was still lying down on the pillows without much movement, but his eyes had become more alert. It was odd seeing his old professor in such a state. His hair was still greasy, but it was spread out in disarray on the pillow and with his consciousness back the famous scowl had made its' grand return. But something about him was off. He still seemed as intimidating as ever; he was sure that if Neville had to have a chat with Snape he would make him feel like a first year again.

"Ah, Severus, it's nice to finally see you awake," she smiled at the wary looking man. "How are you feeling?"

Snape was struggling to sit up in the bed, but failing miserably.

"Not so fast, Severus," Madam Pomfrey said as she pushed Snape back in his lying position. "You have just woken up; you are nowhere near as strong as you were before the coma."

"Whe-Where am I?" Snape rasped. He was looking around the room with a scrutinizing gaze, taking into account every detail he saw.

"You are currently staying in Mr. Potter's quarters. This is the safest place for you to stay at the moment," the witch explained.

"Wha-"

"Severus," she chided.

The ex-death eater looked as if he was about to ask more questions, but Madam Pomfrey silenced him before he could even utter a syllable.

"Save the questions for a later time; right now I need to examine you to see if any damage is still left." Severus reluctantly agreed, but Harry saw the irritation in those dark eyes. The man may have been awake for less than an hour, but his true personality had begun to shine again the moment those eyes opened.

Harry had been watching from the side without making much noise. He was surprised at hearing Snape's voice again. He had expected to feel something akin to bitterness and anger, but for some unknown reason the only feeling he felt was relief.

The man was glaring at the wall as much as he could as Madam Pomfrey fussed over him. The witch was no doubt worrying about how his body was reacting to being awake again. To her relief Snape had not shown any signs of being in pain and was adjusting quite well for his state of being.

"Well, Severus, there is some damage left and I'm afraid it will be permanent, but it is nothing to worry about. Your immune system is not as strong as it was before and I'm afraid it will never be quite as strong. And I'm sure we can make those scars disappear with a potion or two," the healer said with a satisfied expression.

"Is that it?" Harry asked as he walked over to Snape's bed side. The older man cast a weak glare his way, but otherwise said nothing.

"As far as permanent damage goes yes," she nodded her head. "He will have trouble speaking and getting around for quite some time, but that is to be expected. After all he was in a coma for a long time."

"I am still here," Severus managed to say before a coughing fit overtook him by surprise. Harry cast a worried glance at the older man in the bed, but said nothing.

"Now, now, Severus," Madam Pomfrey clucked as she summoned a glass of water, "you should take it slow and try not to force yourself too much, it will do you no good."

She lowered the glass to Snape's lips to let the man take small sips of water. He had been glaring at anything and everything in his sight and Harry was starting to question himself whether or not he was actually relieved to have the greasy git back.

"You really need to take it easy," the healer commented. "Don't strain yourself too much in any shape or form. If you ever need anything just ask Harry and he'll help you." Snape threw her a look that said '_I can take care of myself, you daft woman.' _

The witch turned to Harry, "You will still have to give him the necessary potions, but other than that I think he should be fine." She smiled warmly at him and made her way to the fireplace. Harry followed closely behind, not yet ready to be completely alone with the man.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Harry asked as they entered the living room.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head and smiled. "No, you're okay for now."

She stepped into the fireplace and grabbed some floo powder, "Oh, and, Harry."

"Yes?"

"I'll be back on Friday to check on his progress," she informed him as green flames lit up and took her back to the healing wing.

Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself for what was to come next. He was one hundred percent sure that Snape was not happy to see him there and was probably wishing he could hex him into next year.

At least he doesn't know where his wand is, Harry thought to himself. But he knew it was only a matter of time before Snape could walk and talk again and surely then he would find a way to make his life a living hell. Again.

**How was it? Reviews are appreciated. I'll try to update as much as I can, but I make no promises. **

**Jay.**


	2. The Awakening

**I apologize for this being so late, but it's here now *smiles awkwardly*. This chapter is a little bit shorter, but I promise that the next chapter won't take as long. All mistakes are mine and unfortunately the world of Harry Potter and the characters do not belong to me. Enjoy!**

Ch. 2

Snape covered his eyes as bright, morning light filtered through the curtains. Ever since the little incident with the snake he was stuck with Potter and his window friendly rooms. The blasted Gryffindor had apparently insisted that it would be better if sunlight could reach Snape without having to take him outside. So, of course, the dungeons would not be an option when it came to choosing which residence they would be living in.

In all reality the rooms were not too horrid, as if Severus would ever admit that, but the monotony of the scenery was starting to irritate the older man to no end. Oh, how he wished to get out of these blasted rooms and to yet again wonder around the castle or at least brew a potion or two. But according to Madam Pomfrey his injuries had more of a negative effect on his body than she originally thought. Now his speech had recovered completely after only a week or two. Walking, however, was a different kind of story. Just walking to the loo and back made him feel as weak as a kitten.

But the worst part of all was the fact that he still had to rely on Potter for extra help. Death would have been too good on his guilty soul. If there were any deity in existence they were probably laughing at him. It would only be suitable punishment after all, humiliation was the next best thing to slowly going insane inside a dank cell.

The trials themselves made him ponder on the decision of the Wizengamot. Surely the people would know better than set an ex-death eater free. Heaven knows, most of wizarding Britain thought him guilty of all the things he had done in his past. But no, according to Minerva there were several people present (Harry, bloody, Potter) at his trials who had pleaded on his behalf and encouraged the group of snobby,holier-than-thou people to declare him innocent.

Snape snorted at the thought of being declared innocent. It was Potter's mercy and fame that had kept him out Azkaban. Nobody would dare to go against the big hero's opinion. But why would Potter plead for him at his own trials? Why would Potter even try to save him when he knew that he was as good as dead?

He had once tried asking Harry, but all he got in reply was "You deserved a second chance". Bloody martyr. The boy had to go out of his way to better people's life even when they didn't want to be helped.

He remembered the surprise when he found Potter practically staring at him when he had woken up from his coma. It was a bittersweet moment to finally gain consciousness from one of the most wonderful dreams he had ever had.

_Flashback…._

_Snape took a deep breath and looked around for the umpteenth time. The landscape was the same as it had always been; a beautiful beach with a small cottage nearby. He knew that it couldn't possibly be death, he had too many sins to account for, but he didn't know what it could be if it wasn't that. Surely not reality, if it was then it would be filled with darkness, dementors, and insanity. Maybe it was reality and he had already gone insane and this was the product of such happenings. No, that couldn't be it. If it was then the dementors would have taken this piece of happiness away from him. _

_Snape heard somebody call his name from inside the cottage. Of course, in the back of his mind he knew who it was, but at the same time he didn't recognize the person's identity. Every time he saw that particular person his whole being changed; he forgot about all the wrongs he had done in the past, he forgot all the dark times in his life. Maybe I'm simply going crazy, Snape thought to himself with a soft smile. _

_He walked up the short path to the cottage and opened the door._

_There was a man standing in the small kitchenette that was connected to the small living room. The man was short, but he looked strong as if he was an athlete of some sort. When Severus tried to look at his face it would become blurry and unrecognizable. But it still didn't change the fact that the man was breathtakingly beautiful. _

_"Come sit on the couch with me," the man said. He walked over to Severus and took his hand in his. He led them to the small couch in the living room and sat down gingerly, pulling Severus along with him. _

_Every single day in this dream world was filled with that man being around him. Most of the time, the two of them would be found cuddling on the couch, enjoying each other's company. But sometimes they would be doing something much more than cuddling. Severus remembered the nights filled with so much passion that it almost hurt; in a way it made him feel as if this was real that this wasn't just a fragment of this imagination. But he pushed that thought away, not wanting to think about it all. He just wanted to enjoy this little bit of happiness that he had. _

_The mysterious man brushed his lips against Snape, getting him out of his reverie. _

_"He's calling you," he whispered with a smile._

_"What?" Severus asked. The man slowly pulled away and cupped his face. _

_"He has been calling you for quite some time. But you don't listen. _

_Confusion clouded Severus' mind. "I don't understand what you are talking about." _

_"You have been asleep for far too long." Snape looked at him with a frown and gasped when he saw the face of the mystery man become slowly clear._

_The once blurry face now had distinguishing features. Severus felt like a fool when he recognized the bright green eyes and the messy dark hair. He couldn't believe that he wasn't able to realize who it was just by the voice. For the love of everything that was holy, he was a bloody spy; a very good bloody spy, for that matter. He had survived all those years with the Dark Lord, manipulating old fools, and teaching incompetent idiots without killing too many people. He has done all of those things yet he failed to recognize someone who was beyond familiar. _

_"What are you doing here?" Severus asked, anger slowly creeping into his voice. He pulled away from the boy as if he was burned and tried to get away from him as far as possible. _

_"Severus," Harry began. _

_"Don't call me that," Severus seethed. "You have no right to call me that."_

_"Severus, listen," Harry stood up and walked over to where the older man was standing. _

_"No, don't touch me," he hissed. What kind of dream was this? No, this was not even a dream, far from it. This was a bloody nightmare. The younger male sighed in defeat and sat back down on the couch. _

_"Just please hear me out," Harry pleaded. _

_Severus thought for a moment and nodded hesitantly, but he stood standing where he was._

_"This is all happening in your mind," he started._

_"Yes, I am quite aware of that," Severus snapped, snorting in his mind at the thought of this possibly being reality. _

_"That's not the point."_

_"Then get to the point." Severus said; his patience was wearing thin for the first time in what seemed like weeks, months, or for all he knew maybe even years. Who would have thought that even in his subconscious mind Potter would still be a nuisance. _

_"You need to wake up," Harry said. _

_"And why should I do that?" _

_"Because they are waiting for you to wake up." The fool had enough nerve to actually smile. _

_"Your riddles are getting us nowhere. Define 'them'," he drawled. Severus could already feel a headache coming on. For once in his damned life he had thought that he escaped the pathetic monologues of these blasted students, but apparently it wasn't meant to be so. The pestering still continued even in his dreams. What was to happen next? Perhaps the pestering would continue even past his death. _

_Harry laughed softly, "You never do change, do you?"_

_Snape stared at the boy. "Do not play games with me, Potter, for I am in a foul mood."_

"_This is not a game, _professor_. I am merely stating facts." Harry shook his head with a chuckle. "'They' are the people who have been waiting for you to get up, your friends."_

"_That's preposterous."_

"_It's not. You don't realize how many people actually care, especially one person in particular. Someone who you never thought would give you the time of the day, but secretly hoped they would. And he has."_

_Severus looked at him in disbelief, "You are lying. You are nothing but a figment of my imagination."_

"_That maybe so," Harry agreed. "But they really are calling you to wake up. And you are finally starting to listen."_

_Right as he said those words everything around Snape started getting blurry. Everything, from Harry's face to furniture, began not making sense any more. It was as if a switch had been tuned on and instead of controlling the lights it controlled his dreams. He wasn't sure if it was from the real world or from inside his mind, but he heard his name called over and over, begging him to wake up. But if what Potter had said was true and there were people begging him to wake up, why was he finally listening now? He didn't even know when he started listening to those voices in the first place. _

_He couldn't see the world he had lived in anymore, it was gone. Just the thought that he probably would never be able to re-live that dream again made his heart ache just a little bit; but of course, this was another tidbit of information he would never admit that to anyone, ever._

"_Please, wake up," A voice sounded in his head. It seemed to be coming from the outside, but how could you even get outside? What was 'outside'?_

_Suddenly, he felt as if he was lying down, laying down for quite a bit. His muscles felt stiff and he felt like a child who had overslept and was now quite cranky. He mustered up the strength to open his eyes and a sight that he never thought he would greeted him. _

_Harry bloody Potter was holding an empty potions bottle in his hands and he looked quite worried yet hopeful at his ex-professor. Just the thought of him __**holding**__ a potions bottle made Snape question the sanity of the people that gave it to him in the first place; what were they thinking? The boy could not be trusted with potions. Given the chance he would probably kill someone with it._

"_Potter?" Snape croaked. Just how long had he been asleep for his voice to get to this state? _

"_Professor?" Harry asked in a surprised tone and stared at him in wonder. Was it such a miracle for him to be awake that the boy kept on staring at him? He could have been dying and the boy would have just continued on staring without a second thought. _

_Snape was beginning to lose his patience. "Wha-"_

"_Hang on, professor," Harry jumped out of the chair as well as his reverie. "I need to get a hold of Madam Pomfrey." _

_End of Flashback_

They weren't able to look at each other in the eye for a week. Every kind of contact was awkward to no end and quite frankly it was becoming annoying. Snape had really questioned as to why anyone even let him be taken care by the "boy wonder". But what upset him even more was how everybody that came around him kept on treating him like an invalid. He was a man, damn it, and he had made it through Voldemort's rein, multiple times might he add!

Yes, he did need a helping hand sometimes, but he did not wish to be treated like some cripple who couldn't care for himself. The months of sleeping did not come without consequences, the difficulty with his voice and not being able to walk were a result of that. But he could overcome the hurdle soon if Poppy would allow him to stop resting and let him get out of the damn bed.

There was a knock on the door before Harry's figure appeared in the doorway.

"It's time for your medicine," he said. Snape's face betrayed nothing and Harry uncorked the first potion. He did not secretly glare as the bottle that descended upon his lips and he certainly did not show a single sign of repulsion as the foul liquid went down his throat. That had not happened and it will never happen, ever.

"See," Harry said quietly, "that wasn't so bad."

Snape's expression revealed nothing.

"I talked to Poppy today," he said as he opened a second vile. "She said that you have made great progress so far."

"And yet here I am," Snape grumbled under his breath.

Harry ignored the comment and brought the second potion to Snape's mouth. "She told me that you will start your rehabilitation soon."

"It's about time," he drawled. He had been stuck in his bed for over two months now and he was beginning to think that Poppy would sentence him to a lifetime of bed rest. He just secretly hoped that the rehabilitation wouldn't take long so that he could get as far away from Potter as he possibly could.

**I repeat, all mistakes are mine and I will update more often. Reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	3. One Step at a Time

**I apologize for the wait and how short the chapter is, but I promise that the next chapter will be much longer and will come sooner than one month. If I actually try to go by a schedule I have created I will try to have it out by the next couple of weeks. All of the mistakes are mine and reviews are received with gratitude. **

Ch. 3 – One Step at a Time

Fate was a fickle little creature, at least that's what Harry believed. It could never decide how to present itself without coming off as rude, awkward, or simply confusing. There were so many times in his life when he wished that just this once fate would be kind to him and make things simple.

With that said it was easy to assume that things weren't going as smoothly as he thought they would go. And they weren't. Every time he thought that he had gotten rid of one problem another one would surface through and surprise him with a bite on the ass. It was as if he was back in time when Voldemort was a constant threat; he couldn't let his guard down for a moment or else he would get hurt.

Snape, now being able to talk without a problem, hadn't changed one bit; if anything he had become even worse. The man tended to get agitated quite a bit especially when it came time for his medicine, he always kept on going on about how this was the way he was going to die. Yes, Harry had agreed that he wasn't the best at potions, but he wasn't that stupid to mix up the damn medicine and actually be the cause of Snape's death. Besides, the man was always going on about how Harry should have just let him die and not make him suffer through this pathetic excuse of a life.

Harry had known his ex-professor was not a patient man, not in the least, but he had underestimated the time it would take for him to completely recover. The physical aspect of his healing, as far as activity went, did not come as easily as the talking. A mere walk to the loo took more out of the man than a typical meeting with the Dark Lord, or so Snape muttered when he thought Harry wasn't listening.

Oh, the insults that were thrown at him. Harry had thought that he had heard them all while in school with the man as a potions' master. Unfortunately that was a wrong assumption on Harry's part. Snape was not a patient man when he was fully in control of his body, now days he could be considered near homicidal. Everybody, besides Poppy, McGonagall, and him, walked around the man on eggshells. He couldn't blame them, not in the least. There were times that he had considered to just do as Snape wished and get as far away from the injured man as possible.

But he couldn't. There was something about the man that made Harry stay.

The young wizard had just walked through the threshold when he heard commotion coming from the kitchen. He knew that there was a 99 percent chance that it Snape trying to push his body beyond his limit. Heaven knows it wasn't the first time this has happened.

The young professor sighed and trudged over to the kitchen to assess the damage. Everything seemed in place; the table was still standing, the dishes were still in the cupboards, except there was a certain Snape lying on the floor, glaring daggers at anything and everything.

"Don't you dare touch me, Potter," Snape growled when Harry took a step towards him. "I do not need your help."

"But-"

"I said I do not need your help." The older man tried unsuccessfully to get up, but ended up falling back down when his knees gave away. A pathetic wheeze came out of the dark lump on the floor, but the younger wizard stayed where he was.

"With all due respect, sir," Harry said, "you are not fully recovered yet."

"And what of it?" Snape asked darkly.

"You are not supposed to push yourself. Poppy specifically told you to stay in your bed."

"If I wait until I am fully functioning again I will have to stay in the blasted bed until another dark lord decides to take over the Wizarding World."

Harry shook his head, "That's not true, and you know it."

"Is it?" he asked. "You have restricted me from almost every single room but the bathroom. I can only expect to wake up one morning tied to the bed."

Harry scowled at the man, "I think you are over reacting."

"Over reacting, he says," Snape muttered to himself. "Believe me when I say this, Potter, if I wanted to over react I would have done so in a more destructive way."

He waited until Snape was done grumbling about the matter before he walked over to the man and helped him stand up. Harry knew that Snape was just trying to keep what little pride he had left, but sometimes his comments struck a little close to home. That is why he had never attempted to do anything more than keep a steady had around Snape's waist while accompanying him back to his bed. That was the unspoken boundary that kept both men from saying and/or doing something that they might later regret.

"I know that you are tired and angry, but you need to be patient," Harry said after he had deposited Snape on his bed.

The older man scoffed and picked up a potions book from his bedside table. Harry watched as the man opened up the book and started reading, clearly dismissing the young professor with the quiet gesture.

"I will be in the living room. Call me if you are in need of anything."

"Go, Potter."

Harry sighed and made his way out of Snape's bedroom. What a stubborn man, Harry thought to himself. He knew that if Snape indeed was in need of anything he would never dare ask Harry for help, the man would sooner chew off his own limbs than even think of such a strange action.

The next morning things hadn't changed much, Harry was still trying to help Snape get his morning routine done while the man still snapped at him like there was no tomorrow. The whole ordeal never failed to leave Harry with a headache and the old professor in a grumpy mood.

"Is he faring any better today?"

Harry turned his head toward McGonagall as she entered the DADA classroom. She was one of the few professors that never failed to check on the recovering man. Sometimes she had even came over and tried to partake in a conversation with the man to try to get him out of his depressed state. Sometimes it helped and sometimes it didn't.

"I would say the usual," he said with a tired smile.

"He has improved dramatically."

"I would say the improvement lies mostly with his comments."

The older witch smiled softly, "He is a difficult man, Harry. Did you honestly think that he would make his recovery time easy on you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but I did not expect him to take all of his anger out on me."

"He will get better with time."

"Then I wish time would go by faster or at least his physical recovery. I fear that it is taking too much of a toll on both of us."

Professor McGonagall walked over to Harry and looked at him strait in the eye. "Have faith, Harry. He will get better." She gave him a kind smile and made her way out of the classroom. Harry hoped he had enough strength to have faith, because it was the last thing he had left.  
>***************<p>

One year. A whole year had passed since his awakening and he was still living under the same roof as the blasted Gryffindor. He understood that injuries took time to heal, but this was getting ridiculous. He had never before in his entire life felt as useless as he did now. At least he had finally mastered going to the bathroom by himself without the need of assistance. While he saw it as nothing worth celebrating the others had viewed it as a milestone of the century.

Yesterday's incident in the kitchen had made him more irritated than ever. Potter seemed to think that he had to be his babysitter every hour of every day because heaven forbid Severus could fall and hurt himself even more than he already was.

He was never an overly patient man to begin with but whatever patience he had left was beginning to wear thin. Every single task that would seem ordinary to a typically functioning person seemed like an Olympic event. It didn't help that Potter was constantly chanting "Don't give up" as if it was a holy verse, but there was a limit to everything. Perhaps he thought that one day Snape would just keel over and die. No, no, that was a bit too overly dramatic for him. He was finally starting to accept that he was going to suffer by living in this damned world so it was a known fact (at least to him) that he was not going to go down without a fight.

So Severus pushed himself physically. There was no sense just lying in a bed the whole day and doing nothing. If he couldn't brew potions to occupy his time then he damn well would try to get more mobile around the living chambers. But as always Potter had to have his say in the matter when he had caught him on the floor after his muscles had given out.

He would have thought that the boy would be happy that he wasn't just wasting away in the bed like he did for the first few months. There were times when Severus did not even want to open his eyes because he knew that he would be met with reality and have to be reminded that he was still alive at a time where he wanted to be dead. He had believed that there was nothing left to live for, all of his promises were fulfilled and the boy was safe. But no, according to different sources he had needed to find something new to live for. For the longest time he had resisted, but alas there came a time when he couldn't.

He, once again, had a candle in a dark room and there was nothing he could do to put it out.

***smiles* Next chapter will be in a different point of view. (Did I mention that it will also be longer?) **


	4. A Watchful Eye

**So this may have been a little longer than a couple of weeks and it may not be as long as I had wanted it to be. But I didn't want to add unnecessary little details for the sake of making the story longer. So...(smiles) I hope it was worth the wait! And thank you for everyone's reviews. Enjoy!**

Ch. 4 – A Watchful Eye

There was a small smile on Minerva McGonagall's face as she sat in a comfortable small chair in her bedroom. A book was in her hands, but it was closed; the woman's attention was far away from the written story. She thought about the past couple of years and everything that had happened in that time frame. Things have changed so much, and it wasn't just the end of the war. There were times in the past where she just wanted the time to stop and let her mind wrap around the happenings, but, of course, that was not how life was.

Severus' placement in the war had played games with everybody's minds. There wasn't a day where people had to wonder whose side he was on and what his tactic was. After Dumbledore's fall everybody thought that he was with the Dark Lord, but in the end he had made the ultimate sacrifice. She was there when Harry, Ron, and Hermione had dragged the young professor through what was left of the castle. He was in a horrid state, blood covering his skin and clothes; she had honestly thought that the man was dead.

_Flashback…_

_ "What are you doing with that traitor?" Minerva turned her head towards the angry voice to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione carrying Professor Snape into what was left of the once magnificent castle. The man was covered in blood and if she just went by the looks she would presume that he was already dead. His face was pale and dark circles marked around his eyes more so than they usually did. She saw Hermione's hand holding down some kind of cloth, but it seemed to do little good as blood was still managing to soak through the barrier. _

_ "What are you doing with him?" McGonagall asked. She walked briskly towards the trio, assessing if her students were injured or not. _

_ "Get him out of here!" one of the adults yelled from the floor. _

_ Harry looked at her pleadingly. "Please, professor, he needs help."_

_ "There is no room for the likes of him here," a Hufflepuff boy said with stiffly. Tension spread around the room like wildfire, some people even took out their wands in a threatening manner. _

_ "He will die if we don't help him," Hermione shot back. _

_ "Let him. His friends didn't seem to mind killing us, why should we waste our time trying to save him?" _

_ "Are you actually that narrow minded? Do you even know what he did?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows a little bit at the question. _

_ "Are taking his side?" the boy sneered. "Next thing you know she is going to start sputtering about his innocence."_

_ "She is just trying to help," Ron interjected. _

_ "He doesn't need help!"_

_From the corner of her eye she saw Arthur Weasley walk over to the student and put his hand on his shoulder. _

_ "Dad," Ron said quietly. _

_ "Put down your wands, all of you. There has been enough blood shed today, we don't need anymore."_

_ "He is a Death Eater; his blood won't make a difference, but it will be payment for the lives he has taken."_

_ McGonagall turned to the boy, "Revenge will do nothing for the pain; it won't bring back the others."_

_ The boy smiled stiffly, "No, it won't. But I want him to suffer."_

_ "We don't have time for this," Harry said impatiently. "We need to get him help."_

_ "Bring him here," Molly said as she started in the direction of a clearing in the rubble. The trio half dragged, half carried the man and laid him down gently on the floor, being mindful of the bite on his neck. The redheaded witch carefully removed the cloth from his neck and took a look at the bleeding wound. _

_ "Do you think he will pull through, professor?" Hermione asked. _

_ "I honestly don't know - it's very difficult to tell right now."_

_End Flashback…_

They had later transferred the man to the Grimmauld place in order to keep him hidden from the aurors that were scurrying from place to place, looking for more Death Eaters on the run. The anti-venom potion that Snape had in his possession had helped get all of the poison out of his system, but the shock of all of the day's events had left him in a coma. For six months the man had slept and during that time he was found and put on trial. The whole ordeal had taken a toll on everybody, especially on Harry. Throughout that time he had lost weight and looked even paler than he already was, but his will remained strong. She knew that deep inside he was injured far worse than anyone could ever imagine and there may or may not have been a plan slowly forming in the pit of her mind.

One day, just days after the trial she had decided to visit Harry at the Grimmauld place in order to make him an offer.

_Flashback…_

_ "Hello, Harry," McGonagall said as she walked into Snape's rooms. _

_ "Hello, professor."_

_ "I've come here to discuss an order of business."_

_ "Oh," Harry stood up from his chair next to Severus' bed. "Would you like to join me in the study?"_

_ "That should be perfectly fine."_

_ They made their way next door into a quiet and relaxing study. The room wasn't overly extravagant, but it held an elegant grace about it without the appearance of arrogant aristocracy. She took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs by the window and at the young man with regard. _

_ "Would you care for some tea while we talk?" he asked politely. _

_ "Tea would be nice." _

_ Harry quickly summoned a house elf and the tea was sitting in front of them within moments. _

_ "What matters of business did you wish to discuss with me?" he asked with a cup in hand. _

_ "I have come to offer you a position at Hogwarts."_

_ "Why?"_

_ The witch took a small sip of her tea, "It has come to my attention that even though Severus has evaded going to Azkaban he is still not safe from those who wish to avenge their loved ones."_

_ "This house has perfectly safe wards."_

_ "They are safe, yes, but they are not as strong as the castle's."_

_ "I do not think anyone would dare, especially at a time like this, attack my house in order to kill a comatose Death Eater."_

_ "War has not been over for too long, some people are still in those dark places." McGonagall looked at Harry pointedly, "But your wards are not my main concern."_

_ "What would that be?"_

_ "What about when you are gone?"_

_ "Pardon me?" Harry asked with a frown._

_ "You still have expectations from the Ministry and the people. You have been attending parties and funerals, you are gone a lot."_

_ "Yes…"_

_ "What if he wakes?"_

_ "Professor, I have a perfectly suitable house elf who-"_

_ "He has been heavily injured, Harry. If something goes wrong he will need a healer to look over him."_

_ "I can summon Ma'am Pomfrey if she is needed," Harry said._

_ "Yes, but Hogwarts is scheduled to open soon; she won't have as much time to travel back and forth." _

_ "I understand that, but…"_

_ "But what?" she asked. _

_ Harry stared off into space for a few moments, "But… I don't know if I want to go back." He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "I know that it would be for the best to have Professor Snape there, but at the same time I am just not sure that I can go back."_

_ The older witch nodded, "I'll give you time to think about it."_

_ "Thank you, professor," Harry said sincerely. _

_ They sat in silence for several minutes, slowly drinking their tea. McGonagall thought about his hesitance when it came to returning to Hogwarts and personally she couldn't blame him. The castle was a memory box for every single student that entered its' doors. The memories were good and bad and in Harry's case he had a wider range of those memories that varied more than most of the 'typical' students. And not to mention he was a young man. The ministry had let all of the students take their NEWTs and OWLs early and most of them had decided to go with that option instead of returning to the school – Harry included. Even with the shadow of the Ministry and expectations he had a bright future in front of him that could take him to better places. The one thing tying him down was his responsibility of Snape's welfare._

_ "Professor."_

_ Minerva was snapped out of her reverie, "Yes?"_

_ "What position are you offering me?" Harry asked._

_ "Defense Against the Dark Arts."_

"_Hopefully now that Voldemort is gone the position won't be cursed," he chuckled to himself._

_She smiled at him and stood up. "I need to get going now, but do consider my offer."_

"_Of course."_

_End Flashback…_

She was glad that Harry had decided to take her offer, even if the ministry was part of his decision making. But once everything was settled and everybody was moved, things seemed to have fallen right back into place; at least as much as they could have.

Not even a week after Harry and Snape had moved back into Hogwarts, the ex- Death Eater had awakened. Harry had looked beyond relieved when he had seen him open his eyes and glare weakly at everything around him. But at the same time the young wizard had gotten nervous at the prospect of living with the now conscious wizard and he had seemed rather cautious when he had to be in his presence. This may or may not have been the effect of Snape's rather impatient temper. Even if the man was incapacitated he still managed to go back to his old tricks of malicious retorts.

A time progressed, though, he became more and more antsy. It was easy to see that his inability to move around a lot had strongly effected his mood and cooperation. She couldn't count how many times she had seen Harry walking around the castle with a deep frown, muttering about Snape being an annoying git. But just as time had done small wonders for Snape it did the same with Harry. Over the course of the years he had gained more patience for these random outbursts from the injured man. No longer was he deeply bothered by the snide remarks that were sent his way on the daily basis because of Snape's slow physical progress. It had showed how much more Harry had grown up and to be truthful she was awed by his ability to undertake such tasks.

Even before Severus had regained his ability to walk he had most certainly regained his ability to talk and complain.

_Flashback..._

_"There is absolutely no reason for me not to be able to go back to my own rooms," Severus said in a huff. Minerva's eyes shone with amusement at the man's grumpy mood. _

_"I wish I could help you, Severus, I really do, but Harry himself had asked for a different...setting."_

_A glare was sent in her direction, "I do not care what Potter wants. If he had the audacity to bring me back into this damned world he could have very well granted me this one wish to stay in the dungeons."_

_"You know that could have never been a possibility with Poppy still in the castle. Be glad that you are not staying in the infirmary." Severus scoffed. "Honestly, I do not know what your problem is with Harry. He saved you, twice might I add, both from death and Azkaban."_

_"That is the thing, Minerva, I never wanted to be saved. I never wanted any of this to happen. I was perfectly fine with the notion that I would either die or rot in Azkaban-"_

_"And that doesn't bother you?" the witch asked. "Would you be happier being dead or stay in a cell for the rest of your life?"_

_"It doesn't matter whether it would make me happier or not," he said through gritted teeth. _

_"Then why torture yourself?" _

_"That is not torture, that is getting what I deserve."_

_Minerva shook her head, "That is nonsense, you have done a lot of redeemable things that cover up all of the bad things you have ever committed."_

_"No, I don't think I could ever account for all of the wrongs that I have done; there are simply too many of them."_

_"Listen, Severus," she put her hand on the lying man's shoulder. "I know that you may never forgive yourself for the younger years of your life, but there are those who have forgiven you. You have redeemed yourself a long time ago, don't beat yourself up over that."_

_Snape's eyes took on a hard glare as a sign that the conversation was over. Minerva knew that the man's walls were virtually indestructible, it came as a side effect from the war, his childhood - his entire life. By this point trying to console the man was pointless and would probably cause more damage than healing, so she took this as her cue to leave. _

_"I just hope for your sake that you will not throw this chance away for guilt."_

_Snape just turned his head towards the window and ignored the comment._

_End Flashback..._

A lot of progress had been made throughout these past years, physical and emotional. True, the man was still grumpy as ever and could barely walk more than fifteen feet, but there was the barely there changes. The most recent one was his coming to terms with the rooms that he had been living in since his return to Hogwarts. No longer did the man complain about not being able to stay in the dungeons, probably because Harry had agreed to add a room that would later serve as a lab for his potions. Now this didn't stop him from ridiculing anyone and everyone that stepped through the door, but at least the comments did not have quite the edge as they did in the beginning.

This may have been caused by, dare she say, the new friendship that was beginning to develop between the two wizards. Then again the moment she would hope it would all be shattered by an insult coming from the direction of a certain Snape. But she did hope for this friendship to be true. A friend to Severus would be the best kind of medicine or potion that the man could ever get. Maybe, if Merlin was on her side, this would even get Snape to come out of his guilty state of mind.

Minerva shook her head with a smile and opened up her book once again.

Only time would tell, just as it did with everything else. All she had to do was wait.

**I am not going to promise you another chapter by saying that it will be done by a specific date because francly I don't think I can work with deadlines. So all I'm going to say is "Soon". And thank you guys for sticking with this story for so long. I really do appreciate every single review and favorite and alert. **


	5. A Book to Cheer You Up

**I don't know why or what happened but I managed to get a chapter written within a day. Guys. This. Never. Happens. Well, I guess soon came faster than I expected. This is kind of a short chapter, a little fluffy, and I hope it was worth the short wait. *smiles* And thank you, everybody, for your reviews. Mistakes are all mine. Oh, and I didn't really know/remember the name of any rare potions book in the Harry Potter series so I just made one up, so just a warning. **  
><strong>Disclaimer : Harry Potter does not belong to me, nor will he ever belong to me. <strong>

Ch. 5 – A Book to Cheer You Up

Although Severus had grown accustomed to staying in rooms that weren't in the dungeons didn't mean that he liked them spending his time in them. Reasons? He had quite a few actually, one being his inability to make potions. Of course, Potter had said that it wasn't the actual rooms that caused this problem but his still very questionable health. So he had to make do with what he had and the next best thing to making potions was reading about them. But reading about potions was a bittersweet experience that was similar to a child in a candy store that didn't have enough money to get his favorite sweets. He could read all he wanted about the different methods of making the Wit-Sharpening Potion, but that didn't give him the ability to brew he said potion and see if the author actually had any knowlege concerning the art of potion making.

Potter had, of course, gone out of his way to please Snape as best as he could. The man was mainly staying in the rooms and he got rather cranky when he was bored, so Harry took the liberty of going to Diagon Alley to make some purchases regarding books. It had started as one or two books being brought home for the older man to read, not too many, after all there was a library in the castle. But he was quickly finding out that there was other written material out in the world that had caught Snape's attention in the best way possible, and if those books could keep the man's mind from wondering into dark thoughts then he was willing to spare a few galleons to keep him happy.

This had started over a year ago, about the time when Snape had almost read the entire library from his former chambers in the dungeons as well as the school's. One would be surprised at the amount of reading someone could do if that was one of the few activities that was not only permitted but also physically possible to complete. Now, Snape did not let Potter buy all of his books; he would be damned before that ever happened. And whenever Harry did buy a book for the ex – Death Eater he was met with a scowl and a growl of "I don't need your charity, Potter". He had tried to reason with the man at first but after several months of arguments he found to be futile and rather tiring.

"Potter, what in Merlin's name is this?" Snape asked as he stumbled out of his bed chambers.

Harry looked up from his writing and looked at the new edition of some potions book in the man's hands. "It's a book."

"I know what a book is," he growled out.

"Then I don't understand the question."

"This," Snape held the book up, "is the oldest edition of _Potions of the Ancient World_. Not only is it hard to come by this book but it also costs a ridiculous amount of galleons to get a hold of one."

"Yes, I know," Harry said calmly.

The man's glare intensified. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your charity to yourself, Potter?"

"This is not charity," Harry argued. "I just got you a book. What is the big deal in that?"

"I can buy my own books."

"Well, maybe I wanted to read it as well."

Snape scoffed, "Your interest in potions was nonexistent when you were a student, and it is difficult for me to believe that your interests have changed much over the last few years."

"The opportunity presented itself and I had to take it. Besides, I had heard you mutter to yourself about wanting to get that book anyway; I think that it is a win-win situation."

"Then pray tell me what benefit this has brought you."

"It's simple," Harry said with a smile, "if I keep you happy by having you occupied with books then everyone else in these living quarters are happy as well."

"I will have you know that I happen to have other interests besides reading books all day."

"Well, you were getting rather antsy this past week, so whatever it is, it is obviously not working."

"Do not patronize me, for I am in no mood for games," Snape said angrily. "If I had wanted to read this book I would have bought it myself."

"I'm afraid, sir, that would not be the case," Harry disagreed. "You are in no place to move about and it would have taken you months, if not years, to find this edition in the first place."

"I would have found it on my own eventually; your help was not needed."

"Does it really matter who bought it? It is just one book," he said with a despairing sigh.

"Of course it matters, you fool. A third of my collection of books was bought with your money, a third of books which I did not have to pay for. I am perfectly capable of paying for things that I wish to buy."

"Isn't this a little childish?" Harry asked.

"I beg your pardon," Snape glared.

"I got you a book, big deal. You are acting as if I bought you a house."

"With the way you are throwing away your generosity I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

"I am not going to argue with you over this." Harry said as he went back to grading papers.

"Do not think this conversation is over, I was not done talking."

"I'm sorry," Harry said unapologetically without looking up from his work, "but I cannot help with wounded pride."

"Wounded pride?" Snape asked in a low voice. "This is not about wounded pride. This is about you, being the martyr that you are, going around and doing things for people that they do not wish for you to do."

"What do you want me to say to that?" Harry calmly put his quill down. "How would you like me to answer?"

"I want you to tell me the reason for this nonsense."

"Alright," he agreed, "but I can't imagine how this is going to solve anything because you have heard me say these words hundreds of times."

Snape scoffed in disgust.

"I wanted to keep your mind busy while you recovered. I wanted to keep you as entertained as I possibly could because I'm sorry to say but you cannot function properly yet. Is that such a bad thing?" He could feel Snape's eyes cutting holes in his scull without even trying to make eye contact. "There aren't a lot of choices to choose from because you cannot do a lot of things that you used to do. So I have done my best to get you the next best thing that might make you forget that you are stuck in these rooms until you are able to walk further than twenty paces without needing assistance. And-"

The older man didn't even wait for Harry to finish beofre trying to exit back to his rooms with as much dignity as he could muster, but seeing him on shaking legs made him far less intimidating than he used to be.

"And he walks away yet again," Harry muttered to himself quietly. This happened every single time they had an argument – Snape would accuse him of doing something unnecessary, Harry would answer semi-politely, and it would end with the older wizard staggering back into his room and sulking for a few hours. Now, of course, Snape would never admit that he ever sulked, but in the end the book would somehow disappear back into the man's room and it would be as if the argument never happened.

The first few times they had this discussion things had turned almost disastrous. Neither of them had the patience and ultimately their emotions were still running high from having to live with each other constantly. The comments they had thrown at each other were as sharp as knives and had caused a lot of damage to both of them. After that they had not spoken to each other for days, not even making eye contact unless it was absolutely necessary.

When Poppy had noticed the sudden difference in both of their attitudes she had demanded to know the reason and had ultimately scolded them for their stupidity. Harry had felt guilty and ashamed at the things he had said and he had apologized to the man the very next morning when he had come into his rooms to give him his daily potions. Snape had, of course, said nothing about the matter, but he did offer his own type of apology by nodding his head in his direction.

It was certainly safe to say that after that little spectacle Harry had tried to avoid letting the man's insults get the best of him and had actually started trying to get on his good side. There were days, though, where he did slip up and things did get heated, but they never reached the highest point they could get to. And, honestly, after living together with the now conscious man it did become easier to ignore the little spites coming his way. He understood why the man did it, which was no big mystery at all anyone could figure it out. After living by himself most of his life and having people not give a shit about his well-being it would be no surprise if Snape felt out of his comfort zone when someone else was taking care of him. The best he could do in this situation is being there for him when his help was needed but otherwise not to push him too much.

While Snape had his books to turn to Harry had his new job. Teaching was not really that much of a new experience for him, in a way it actually reminded him of his 5th year, but he still had difficulties with the children, especially the first years that had come to Hogwarts. Most of his students had admired him for saving the Wizarding world which sometimes made it hard for Harry to teach because they would always be asking questions about his adventures and battles. However, there were also those who were part of families that despised him with a passion. And between those who loved and those who hated him it was difficult for him to find a moment of peace where everyone agreed with each other.

When Harry had shared some of his troubles with teaching the students Snape had replied with "Did you honestly think that teaching was a walk in the park? Are you that, dense?" Harry had chosen to ignore that comment, for his own self-preservation, and continued on with his day as planned. And nowadays it consisted of grading papers, getting Snape his potions and anything that he might need, and getting ready for the avalanche of bull-shit that was bound to come with a new day of classes.

Harry sighed and turned his attention back to the task at hand. A few hours later, right before he went into his own room he heard Snape's door open quietly and a quick hand grabbing for the book that had caused the scuffle between them. It always made the corners of Harry's lips turn upward into a knowing smile. He was sure that as much as the injured man didn't like that Harry bought him books he was secretly thankful for that gesture.

After some shuffling Harry heard the door to Snape's room close softly. He always ignored when Snape came out to get the book as a way not to scare him off which could potentially cause another argument. This was a little tradition for them, a way for them to apologize to one another without having to acknowledge each other's presence or their wrong doings. And as long as it was working then Harry was all for it.

**What did you guys think? The next chapter will be out soon, but don't expect it to be like this chapter. Because usually I have a writer's block the size of a Blue Whale. Thank you guys for reading and thank you again for the reviews. **


End file.
